Neptune's Lucky Fishing Hat
by Depths Deeper Than Delphi
Summary: Throughout his youth, Percy Jackson treasured his one hazy memory of his father smiling down at him as an infant, but Poseidon had also visited Percy while he was on holiday at Montauk with his mother and taught him an important lesson for a child of the Sea. (ONE-SHOT.)


Laughter pierced the lazy summer air as a small child sprinted out of a weathered pastel cabin that was nestled protectively in a golden dune. His small strides were swift, but he couldn't outrun the melodious voice of his mother.

"Percy!" she called knowingly, "How are you going to catch any fish without a fishing rod?"

The raven-haired boy slid to a sudden stop and turned slowly and muttered incoherently.

"Perseus, what was that?" his mother questioned sternly.

"Nothing, mom," he replied quickly.

She laughed at Percy's antics and pulled a small fishing rod from behind the door and held it out towards Percy, but she was left with a face-full of sand as he bounded past her into the darkness of their favourite cabin.

"Perc-" she sputtered while wiping the sand from her long brown hair.

In the time it took for her to regain her composure, the beautiful sea-green eyes of her son were staring up at her and she felt all of her frustration melt away.

Despite all of the trouble he got in she could never stay mad at him, and the longer she gazed into his eyes the more she was reminded of his father.

"I got the worms!" Percy beamed energetically, holding out a ripped zip-lock bag full of soil and pale-pink worms.

Sally Jackson smiled as she gently pushed the bag of worms away and passed the fishing rod to Percy.

The 5ft rod towered over him but he clung onto it gleefully as he bounded towards the gentle surf of Montauk.

"Did you grab your hat, sweetie?" Sally called out, but her concerns were met with deaf ears as Percy sprinted across the warm expanse of sand and she sighed as she sunk into the bleached plastic beach chair that lay by the cabin door and felt her eyes droop shut in the afternoon heat.

* * *

Percy wandered along the edge of the sea with both his fishing rod and bag of worms in hand happily. He could feel the cool water wash over his tanned feet and grinned at the sensation.

He continued to wander along the beach absentmindedly as he gazed off at the dazzling emerald sea. The was at awe at its ethereal beauty, with the afternoon light reflecting off the gentle sea and illuminating the gentle, rolling waves.

As he continued to stare out across the ocean, he could almost swear he could see feminine faces smiling at him, but that didn't deter him from his mission- catch a fish that he and his mom could eat for dinner.

Being snapped out of his trance, Percy stuck the rod into the sand and carefully placed the clear bag just out of reach of the curious waves. He then rummaged through the cool and moist soil until his small fingers closed around the slender body of an earthworm- it reminded him of the stories his mother told him of Heracles defeating deadly snakes.

After sliding the worm onto the shiny metallic hook, he gripped the fishing line and did his best to throw it out into the waves, but after travelling a few feet, it swung back at him and he had to jump to the side to avoid being impaled by his own hook.

Percy continued to use his small hands to heft the line out towards the sea but every time it came back towards him as if it were a boomerang.

"Have you had any bites?" inquired a smooth and deep voice from behind him.

Percy jumped forward in shook and whipped around in surprise, which caused the tall man to laugh heartily.

Feeling the man's strangely intense gaze on him, Percy mumbled a response, "Mom told me not to talk to strangers."

The stranger nodded his head, causing the assortment of fishing hooks along the worn brim of his hat to jingle- "Your mother sounds very wise," he continued.

Percy turned back around towards the sea, which seemed to be strangely energised and again, flung his fishing line into the surf.

"Here," the man began as he moved towards Percy, "let me show you how to cast your line as far as the eye can see."

He held out his rough and calloused hand towards Percy, and Percy handed him the rod almost on impulse- it was as if his gut was telling him to trust this stranger.

"Watch carefully," he instructed slowly as he tipped the rod behind his shoulder and swiftly flicked it forwards.

Percy's mouth gaped as he saw the line sail over the waves and land beyond the breaking waves.

"Wow", Percy muttered, only to receive a wink from the stranger.

"Here, try for yourself," he said as he passed the rod back to Percy.

He continued to instruct Percy on what to do and when Percy flicked the rod forward, he saw the hook fly through the air and land far out into the waves.

Percy's face beamed with delight as the man congratulated him- "It's like you're a natural!" he exclaimed happily, almost matching Percy's exuberance.

"Come on," he encouraged, "try again!"

Percy hastily reeled in his line and repeated what he had been told and he once again saw the worm go airborne as it hurtled towards the gently churning sea.

"It looks like I've taught all there is to know," the man beamed, before lifting his beige fishing hat off of his head and gently placing it on Percy's raven hair.

As Percy turned to thank the stranger for his help, all that remained of him was a salty sea-breeze.

Startled, Percy lifted the hat off of his head, being careful to avoid the sharp fishing hooks, and squinted his eyes at the blue embossed letters, which read: 'Neptune's lucky fishing hat'.


End file.
